Exploratorium’s Opening Gala at New Home on Pier 15 – April 12, 2013, 6pm to 1am

Staging an Opening Gala at its new Pier 15 home on Friday, April 12, 2013 — five days before its celebratory public opening — the Exploratorium in San Francisco breaks the mold for its spring fundraiser. A three-tiered event designed to appeal to a range of partying styles and price points, it also brings to the party the concepts of over 25 Bay Area interior designers. The theme for the evening is, “Now this is where things get interesting.” For ticket information go to /visit/opening/gala. Valet parking available.

Sandy Otellini, Board member and co-chair of the Gala with husband Paul Otellini, said, “This transformational second act of the 43-year old Exploratorium at the waterfront has given us the opportunity to reimagine what our event could be.”

Point person for re-imagining the fundraiser is Event Chair, Fannie Allen, who has conceived a model that has three options for Gala-goers: Opening Gala Dinner, Supper Club and After-Party. The sit-down Opening Gala Dinner, with its $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 tables, now sold out, starts with cocktails at 6pm in the East Gallery, followed by a science-inspired dinner at 7pm in the all-glass Bay Observatory. The Supper Club, starting at 7pm, is taking shape as club-style dinner and cocktails in chic, designer-conceived modern lounges that seat ten. For those reserving an entire lounge for their guests, tickets run $10,000 and $25,000. Also available will be individual tickets, at $1000 each for seating in “un-hosted” lounges. Both Gala Dinner guests and Supper Club guests can access the entire Exploratorium beginning at 8:30pm, through the After Party. This third Gala option, the After Party, for adults 21 and older, runs from 9pm to 1am, and includes live music and dancing, cocktails and a dessert buffet. For this party choice, general presale ticket prices, through March 12, are $175; after March 12, they are $200. For Exploratorium Lab members, tickets are $150.

Ms. Allen, a designer in her own right, has master planned what she says is “a new format in a new space with a whole new eclectic mix of participants. We’re also collaborating with interior designers and artists to help us create a gala of fabulous experiences for a range of guest tastes that echo the notion, ‘Now this is where things really do get interesting.’”

As an example, Allen, in another first, is collaborating with renowned San Francisco designer, Eugene Anthony, who is leading a creative project with over 25 local interior designers to showcase their talents in the more than 25 hosted lounges for the Supper Club. Anthony has challenged the designers to reflect the sensibility of the Exploratorium as they explore innovation, technology and art in their designs. View a list of participating designers here.

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About the Exploratorium
The Exploratorium is a playful learning laboratory of more than 600 interactive exhibits and experiences that ignite curiosity and transform the way people learn. Since 1969, the Exploratorium has influenced generations of entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, teachers, students, children, museum professionals and everyday doers, reaching nearly 180 million people annually from around the globe.